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Oct 07 2016

The Most Common Mistakes Following Dog Attacks

Trusted Dog Bite Attorneys

Dog Bites & Attacks – Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal injury is, unfortunately, one of the most common incidents in the legal world. Personal injury includes slip and fall accidents, workplace accidents, vehicular accidents, and dog bites, to name but just a small number of such incidents and how they may occur. It is unfortunate when a hard-working individual must cope with an injury, especially considering the cost of medical bills, the loss of work hours, and the emotional stress that stems from an accident. This is why contacting a personal injury attorney Los Angeles makes so much sense.

According to the CDC, there are around 4.7 million dog bites every single year. Of these 4.7 million bites, over 800,000 victims will require immediate medical attention to see to their wounds. In 2015, there were 34 fatalities from dog attacks that went untreated. When such an incident occurs, seeking the help of a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer should obviously be the next step after seeking medical help. However, many feel flustered by their experience and do not act out.

Causes

The most common causes of a dog attack stem from the animal in question feeling stressed, threatened, or perhaps scared for their own life or for the life of their young. Bites are also reported from rough playing with the animal – this happens when the dog becomes too excited. Regardless of how the attack happened, it is important to take the correct steps to care for the injury and handle the entire situation from a legal standpoint. If the dog was not your own, then someone is at fault for the attack – usually the dog’s owner.

Frequent Mistakes

As previously mentioned, during the heat of the entire moment, many will make frequent mistakes when dealing with the situation. Such as:

Medical Care – Regardless of how the injury may actually look at first, many do not seek medical care as quickly as they should. A dog’s mouth, despite the myth of them being clean, is actually riddled with bacteria that can spread quickly and lead to an infection within the human body. During more serious situations, complications will occur if the injury is not treated by a professional. If the skin was broken, a doctor should be consulted.

Contacting Authorities – Most people have a soft spot for a dog, even after they have been attacked by said creature. Unfortunately, this leads to few victims actually contacting the authorities following an attack. The authorities should be contacted as soon as possible so the animal may be quarantined for rabies observations. An investigation will need to be conducted by the authorities.

Documenting Injuries – This is probably the last thing on your mind, but documenting your injuries via photograph, video, or written reports is vital to the entire case. Settle Without An Accident Attorney – Many people will feel they do not require legal help following an animal attack. However, studies have proven that victims represented by a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer receive 3.5 times more in their settlement than those who simply represent themselves in the case.

A personal injury attorney Los Angeles can help with almost any of your needs, especially dog attacks. Call us for a free case review.